Distinguished Company

Leave it to Leonard Cohen, perhaps contemporary music's greatest living musical poet, to sum up the spirit of the Special Merit Awards Ceremony during his Lifetime Achievement Award acceptance speech Saturday at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles. Dressed in a black suit and speaking in his trademark vampire baritone, the stubbly singer/songwriter thanked The Recording Academy for allowing him to be a part of "this distinguished company…as we make our way to the finish line that some of us have already crossed."

Sobering words. If we are to take away anything from Michael Jackson's senseless, unexpected death last year at age 50, it's that we must appreciate our heroes and loved ones before, and after, they cross over into the unknowable beyond. Appreciation is exactly what the annual Special Merit Awards are all about, and The Academy honored 12 legendary artists, innovators, companies, and behind-the-scenes technicians whose timeless works have helped improve the quality of lives worldwide.

Though Cohen's poetic, fateful words resounded throughout the event, other recipients delivered insightful stories and jokes that appealed more to the funny bone. A frail Clark Terry had to be helped to the stage, but not even illness could dampen the trumpeter's indomitable comic spirit. Hobbling down the stage in his wheelchair, the iconic jazz trumpeter joked that he was going to "keep doing it" until he got it right. Summing up his career, Delta blues singer/guitarist David "Honeyboy" Edwards stated that he "played a lot of blues out there…and I’m still 'knocking 'em dead." The son of late Scepter Records founder Florence Greenberg, who was there to accept a Trustees Award on her behalf, reminisced that "if you called her 'mother' at the office, our pay got docked."

Accepting the Lifetime Achievement Award for the late Bobby Darin, Dodd Darin struggled to compose himself as he remembered his dad. Flanked by his two school-aged daughters, Dodd shared how his multi-talented father was outraged that blacks were not allowed to perform at New York's legendary Copacabana, and recounted how he insisted black comic George Kirby open his show at the nightspot. The club's owner balked at the request, but Darin stood his ground and prevailed.

When the ancestors of phonograph inventor Thomas Alva Edison and country singer Loretta Lynn took the stage to accept awards for their famous elders, you couldn't help but think of their distinguished heredity. A Technical GRAMMY Award was given to pro audio company AKG Acoustics, the award-winning subsidiary of Harman International. Classical conductor/pianist André Previn (accepting his award via video presentation), country producer/guitarist Harold Bradley, and longtime GRAMMY telecast producer Walter C. Miller jammed the hilarity meter with their wry speeches.

Finally, former Michael Jackson manager Frank DiLeo took the stage to accept the Lifetime Achievement Award for his late client. Accepting the award for Jackson's three children, DiLeo told the hushed crowd the King of Pop had a tremendous sense of humor, which the singer would reveal when he watched the GRAMMYs. As DiLeo recalled, Jackson would phone him after a particularly weird acceptance speech and say, "Do you believe what that guy just said?"

"Then he would laugh and hang up," DiLeo said.

While Jackson has crossed Cohen's proverbial finish line, his work — along with that of the rest of this year's Special Merit Awards class — will be appreciated and celebrated for many years to come.

(To view photos from the Special Merit Awards and other GRAMMY Week events, click here.)

A special award presentation ceremony and concert celebrating the Special Merit Awards honorees will be held in summer 2018. Additional details regarding the ceremony will be announced.

In the meantime, why are these industry luminaries up for a Special Merit Award? Let's take a closer look.

Blaine is best known for his role as the lead drummer/founder of the Wrecking Crew studio band that backed iconic artists such as Elvis Presley, the Beach Boys, Frank Sinatra, and more. He worked on six consecutive Record Of The Year GRAMMY-winning tracks between 1965 and 1970, including Sinatra's "Strangers In The Night" and Simon And Garfunkel's "Mrs. Robinson."

Diamond's rich catalog has become a part of the fabric of America's songbook with hits such as "Sweet Caroline," "Solitary Man" and "You'll Be A Woman Soon." He earned a GRAMMY at the 16th GRAMMY Awards for Album Of Best Original Score Written For A Motion Picture Or A Television Special for Jonathan Livingston Seagull. He was honored as the MusiCaresPerson of the Year in 2009.

A 13-time GRAMMY winner, Harris' genre-spanning style has earned her a permanent place among the contemporary country elite. She earned her first GRAMMY at the 19th GRAMMY Awards for Best Country Vocal Performance, Female for Elite Hotel. She most recently won for Best Americana Album for Old Yellow Moon at the 56th GRAMMYs.

The late Jordan has been dubbed the Father of Rhythm & Blues and the Grandfather of Rock and Roll for his recordings from the late 1930s to early 1950s. He has four recordings in the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame with his band Tympany Five: "Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens" (inducted 2013), "Caldonia Boogie" (1998), "Choo Choo Ch'Boogie" (2008), and "Let The Good Times Roll" (2009).

The Meters — comprising drummer Joseph "Zigaboo" Modeliste, frontman Art Neville, percussionist/vocalist Cyril Neville, guitarist Leo Nocentelli, and bassist George Porter Jr. — are considered to be among the founding fathers of funk with iconic tunes such as "Cissy Strut," "Good Old Funky Music" and "Chicken Strut." "Cissy Strut" was inducted into the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame in 2011.

One of the most lauded rock bands of all time, Queen — bassist John Deacon, guitarist Brian May, frontman Freddie Mercury, and drummer Roger Taylor — have made an indelible impact on the music industry with blockbuster hits such as the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame-inducted recordings "Bohemian Rhapsody" and "We Will Rock You"/"We Are The Champions."

Heralded as the Queen of Rock and Roll, Turner remains a global recording star worldwide. She earned her first GRAMMY at the 14th GRAMMY Awards with Ike Turner for their rendition of "Proud Mary," which took home Best R&B Vocal Performance By A Group. She's since added an additional seven wins to her tally, most recently as a featured artist on Herbie Hancock's Album Of The Year-winning River: The Joni Letters at the 50th GRAMMY Awards.

As a vice president of Warner Bros. Records and founder of Sire Records, Stein is responsible for ushering in the careers of some of our favorite artists, including the Ramones, the Pretenders, Talking Heads, k.d. lang, Barenaked Ladies, the Cure, Seal, Madonna, Depeche Mode, and Ice-T, among others.

Prolific composer Williams has made history for his unforgettable film scores, including Star Wars, Indiana Jones and E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial. He is one of the top GRAMMY winners of all time with 23 GRAMMYs to his name, most recently for Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media for Star Wars: The Force Awakens at the 59th GRAMMY Awards. Star Wars — Original Motion Picture Soundtrack was inducted into the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame in 2007.

Technical GRAMMY Awards recipients Agnello and Factor have influenced the record-making process through their company Eventide, which produces a wide variety of original audio effects devices. The company's H910 Harmonizer effects processor, whose underlying technology forms the basis of all pitch-shifting and pitch-correction devices today, impacted the sound of classic LPs such as David Bowie's Low, Kraftwerk's Computer World and AC/DC's Back In Black, among others.

"This year's Special Merit Awards recipients are a prestigious group of diverse and influential creators who have crafted or contributed to some of the most distinctive recordings in music history," said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of the Recording Academy. "These exceptionally inspiring figures are being honored as legendary performers, creative architects and technical visionaries. Their outstanding accomplishments and passion for their craft have created a timeless legacy."

Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Adele: Record Of The Year GRAMMY Rewind

Time travel through GRAMMY history and revisit the impressive lineage of Record Of The Year winners

Tim McPhate

GRAMMYs

Jan 4, 2018 - 5:17 pm

Numerically speaking, it's the first category on the GRAMMY Awards nominations list. Conversely, it is typically one of the final categories announced on the annual GRAMMY telecast. And its winners have spanned jazz, pop, rock, R&B, and Latin, among other genres.

Rewind The Record Of The Year GRAMMY Winners

What's the category? It's Record Of The Year, which is an award that goes to a track's artist, producer, engineer, mixer, and mastering engineer.

The Record Of The Year category's 59-year history offers a unique aural tour through the annals popular music — one that certainly has the makings for one powerfully diverse playlist.

Los Del Río To Ilan Chester: Latin Recording Academy Special Awards

Lucecita Benítez, João Bosco, Cuco Valoy, and Lalo Schifrin also among group to receive special honors

Renée Fabian

GRAMMYs

Sep 13, 2017 - 4:10 pm

Each year the Latin Recording Academy honors esteemed Latin music makers with their Special Awards, including a Lifetime Achievement Award and a Trustees Award. On Sept. 13, The Latin Academy announced this year's class of Special Awards recipients.

Benítez began her career as a young Puerto Rican star of Nueva Ola pop, and later grew in international recognition for her contributions to the nueva trova movement and her classic boleros. Singer/songwriter/guitarist Bosco is an essential part of the música popular Brasileira movement in Brazil in the 1960s and '70s. A Latin GRAMMY-winning musician, Chester is a pioneering Venezuelan singer, keyboardist, arranger, and composer.

Argentine singer/songwriter Heredia is arguably best known for his symphonic work about Taki Ongoy, a movement against the Spanish conquest in South America. Los Del Río — comprising Antonio Romero Monge and Rafael Ruiz Perdigones — made their mark on Latin music with the smash crossover 1990s hit, "Macarena." Mexican singer Pineda, aka the Queen of Bolero, has released more than 30 albums in her career. A Dominican salsa, son montuno and merengue artist, Valoy is arguably best-known for his song "Juliana."

A Latin GRAMMY and GRAMMY winner, Fausty is a sought-after engineer and mixer who has worked with artists such as Celia Cruz, Marc Anthony, Tito Puente, and Eddie Palmieri. Also a Latin GRAMMY and GRAMMY winner, Argentine pianist/composer/arranger/conductor Schifrin is instantly recognizable through his popular themes, including the "Mission—Impossible" theme (GRAMMY Hall Of Fame, 2017) and Clint Eastwood's Dirty Harry films.

Lifetime Achievement Award for performers who have made unprecedented contributions of outstanding artistic significance to Latin music and the Latin community, and the Trustees Award for individuals who have made significant contributions, other than performance, to Latin music during their careers.

"Our 2017 class represents a wide-range of artists that together have contributed to shape Latin music's iconic rhythms and lyrics throughout history," said Gabriel Abaroa Jr., Latin Recording Academy President/CEO. "Each honoree is an inspiration to our culture and community as well as a muse for new and contemporary work."

The Lifetime Achievement and Trustees Award honorees will be celebrated during a private ceremony held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Las Vegas on Nov. 15 as part of the 18th Annual Latin GRAMMY Week. This ceremony will be followed by the 18th Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards, which will broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Nov. 16, from 8–11 p.m. ET/PT on Univision.

Nominations for the 18th Latin GRAMMY Awards will be announced Sept. 20.

A special ceremony and concert celebrating the honorees will be held in the spring. Additional details regarding the ceremony will be announced in the coming weeks.

"Each year, The Academy has the distinct privilege of honoring those who have greatly contributed to our industry and cultural heritage, and this year we have a gifted and brilliant group of honorees," said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of The Recording Academy." Their exceptional accomplishments, contributions, and artistry will continue to influence and inspire generations to come."

The Lifetime Achievement Award honors performers who have made contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording, while the Trustees Award recognizes contributions in areas other than performance. Both awards are determined by vote of The Recording Academy's National Board of Trustees. Technical GRAMMY Award recipients are determined by vote of The Academy's Producers & Engineers Wing Advisory Council and Chapter Committees, and are ratified by The Academy's Trustees. The award is presented to individuals and companies who have made contributions of outstanding technical significance to the recording field.

The 58th Annual GRAMMY Awards will be broadcast live on CBS on Feb. 15 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. For breaking GRAMMY news, follow The Recording Academy's social networks on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Some of the content on this site expresses viewpoints and opinions that are not those of the Recording Academy. Responsibility for the accuracy of information provided in stories not written by or specifically prepared for the Academy lies with the story's original source or writer. Content on this site does not reflect an endorsement or recommendation of any artist or music by the Recording Academy.